On August 20, 1953, during a meeting of the American-Lithuanian Roman Catholic (ALRC) Organists alliance in Chicago, the idea of organizing a Lithuanian Song Festival was discussed for the first time. Initially, the plan was to organize several regional song festivals in 1954, as a prelude to one unified song festival in Chicago in the near future. However, the regional song festival idea never materialized, and in essence there was only one “regional” song festival – the first Lithuanian Song Festival, in Chicago.

On July 2, 1954, during another ALRC organists’ meeting, the idea of a Lithuanian Song Festival was discussed once again. This time, the groups board decided to invite choir directors and musicians from the Chicago Lithuanian community for a meeting, which ultimately eleven such individuals attended. During this meeting, a decision was made that a Lithuanian Song Festival would take place in the spring of 1956, and an initial festival organizing committee was thus assembled. Albinas Dzirvonas, Juozas Kreivėnas, Justas Kudirka, Vytautas Radžius, and Alice Stephens were picked for the committee, with Alice Stephens as the committee’s president.

More than 20 choirs signed up to participate in the first Lithuanian Song Festival. Various committees and a repertoire plan were created. On February 6, 1955, representatives from Lithuanian music and community organizations gathered for a meeting, during which a 15 member assembly was organized. A decision was made to make the initial festival organizing committee permanent, include them in the 15 member assembly, and give the assembly power to add members as the need arose. In the end, the First Lithuanian Song Festival committee was as follows: Alice Stephens – president; Vytautas Radžius and Justas Kudirka – vice-presidents; Juzė Daužvardienė – advisor; Juozas Kreivėnas, Agnė Jasaitytė, and Elena Blandytė – secretaries; Albinas Dzirvonas –treasurer; Vladas Butėnas – director of media relations.

July 16, 1955, the Song Festival committee met with the American-Lithuanian Community-Chicago District’s board of directors. An agreement was made that the first Lithuanian Song Festival would be under the auspices of the Lithuanian Community – Chicago organization, whose board was as follows: Dr. Jonas Bajerčius (president), Teodoras Blinstrubas, Jonas Švedas, Kazys Deveikis, Jonas Jasaitis, Zigmas Dailidka, Vytautas Radžius, and Stasys Daunys. The repertoire committee was made up of the following individuals: Vladas Jakubėnas (president), Aleksandras Aleksis, Bronius Budriūnas, Stasys Gailevičius, Bronius Jonušas, Juozas Kreivėnas, Justas Kudirka, Alfonsas Mikulskis, Stepas Sodeika, Alice Stephens, Kazys Steponavičius, Leonardas Šimutis, Jr., and Juozas Žilevičius.

Prof. Juozas Žilevičius, who in 1924 organized a Lithuanian Song Day in Kaunas, Lithuania, was invited to be an honorary conductor at the Song Festival. Other conductors were: Stepas Sodeika, Sr. Bernarda Venskutė, SSC, Alice Stephens, Bronius Budriūnas, Alfonsas Mikulskis, Vladas Baltrušaitis, and Kazys Steponavičius. The accompanists were Vladas Jakubėnas and Genovaitė Aleksiūnaitė. The first Lithuanian Song Festival took place in the Chicago Coliseum, with 34 choirs and about 1200 singers performing.

After the Song Festival, the organizing committee was informed by treasurer, Albinas Dzirvonas that the Festival took in $22,167.00, and spent $14,515.00. Travel expenses for choirs were only partially covered. A decision was made that the profits from the Festival would be distributed as follows: $2500 for future Song Festivals, $1250 to the “Music News” journal, $1000 for a publication of Lithuanian songs for children, $1000 toward prizes for a music contest, and $1000 to the Lithuanian Community-Chicago district. Remaining profits after this initial distribution went toward various other Lithuanian cultural projects.

Journalist Stasys Pieža was in charge of media relations with the American press. He advertised the first Lithuanian Song Festival by having photos of committee members with Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley, as well as photos of prominent people of Lithuanian descent, printed in newspapers. Amongst the latter were: Antanas Olis, president of the Sanitary District; Mother Marija Kaupaitė, founder of the St. Casimir Order of Sisters; Army chaplain Antanas Švedas; boxing champion Jack Sharkey; Metropolitan Opera soloists Anna Kaskas and Polyna Stoska; athletes Phil Krause, Ed Krause, John Podres, Bill Osmanski, and Eddie Miksis; golfers Billie Burke and John Goodman; 1933 “Miss Lithuania” Ieva Paulekiūtė-Rockefeller; U.S. Navy warship nurse-hero, the last to leave Corregidor, Anne Bernatitus; police captain William Balswick; Lithuanian pilot-heroes Darius and Girėnas; judges John Zuris and Alfonse Wells; Cicero Lithuanian Parish pastor Ignas Albavičius; bankers John Pakel, John Brenza, and Julius Brenza; bowling champion Joe Williams; and factory owner Antanas Rudis.

Vladas Jakubėnas, a music critic, wrote about the first Lithuanian Song Festival in the journal “Aidas”. Amongst his comments was the following quote: